Housing

Created in 1973, the Board is the federal agency which develops minimum guidelines and requirements for standards issued under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), develops accessibility guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment under the Telecommunications Act, develops accessibility standards for electronic and information technology under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, provides technical assistance on those guidelines and standards, and enforces the Architectural Barriers Act.

The HUD USER website is supported and managed by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R). HUD USER hosts research, publications, periodicals, data sets, a Bibliographic Database, the Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse (RBC), and more. HUD USER is your go-to source for housing and community development researchers and policymakers. To learn more about the HUD USER web site, visit the first time visitor's section at http://www.huduser.org/portal/firsttimevisit.html. For assistance, call the toll-free phone number.

The mission of this Federal agency is to help the nation's communities meet their development needs, spur economic growth in distressed neighborhoods, provide housing assistance for the poor, help rehabilitate and develop moderate and low-cost housing, and enforce the nation's fair housing laws. HUD plays a major role in supporting homeownership by underwriting homeownership for lower- and moderate-income families through its mortgage insurance program. To ensure easy access to its programs and services, HUD maintains eight clearinghouses with toll-free accessibility.

AARP is the nation's leading organization for people age 50 and older. It serves their needs and interests through information and education, advocacy, and community services provided by a network of local chapters and experienced volunteers throughout the country. The organization also offers members a wide range of special benefits and services, including Modern Maturity magazine and the monthly Bulletin.

The National Association for Hispanic Elderly [Asociación Nacional Pro Personas Mayores] was founded in 1975 to serve the needs of Hispanic elderly and other low income persons. It is recognized as the pioneer and the leading organization in the field of Hispanic Aging. It has become one of the broadest based Hispanic organizations in the nation. It is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation with both public and private funding. It has earned a national reputation for its work with the elderly and for its increasingly significant role in the larger Hispanic community. The scope of the Association’s work includes employment programs, services for the elderly, economic development projects which include low-income housing and neighborhood development programs, research and data collection, training and technical assistance, development of model projects, and award winning media productions. The Association has an extended network of over 500 public and private community service organizations throughout the nation.

AssistedLivingFacilities.org lists information on over 36,300 state-licensed assisted living facilities. Senior care experts help families and caregivers decide if assisted living is a good option for their loved one, and if so, to select the best facility possible.

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) is a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Washington, D.C. that has been helping local organizations build affordable homes in rural America. The mission of HAC is to improve housing conditions for the rural poor, with an emphasis on the poorest of the poor in the most rural places. HAC maintains a special focus on high-need groups and regions: Native American communities, the Mississippi Delta, farmworkers, the Southwest border colonias, and Appalachia.

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit national advocacy network of people who are or have been homeless, activists, service and housing providers, and others committed to ending homelessness. NCH engages in public education, policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing with a focus on housing justice, economic justice, health care justice, and civil rights.

Founded in 1950, the National Council on the Aging is the nation's first charitable organization to serve as a national voice and powerful advocate on behalf of older Americans. NCOA is an innovator, developing programs such as BenefitsCheckUp, Foster Grandparents and Family Friends. NCOA is an activator, working with thousands of its community organization members nationwide to provide needed services to older people. NCOA is a private, nonprofit association of some 3,500 member organizations and individuals that include senior centers, area agencies on aging, employment services, congregate meal sites, faith congregations health centers, and senior housing. NCOA also includes a network of more than 17,000 organizations and individuals including its members, professionals and volunteers, service providers, consumer groups, businesses, government agencies, religious groups and voluntary organizations.

The main purpose of the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification is to: promote aging in place; help states, communities, the private sector and service providers improve supportive housing and home modification; maximize single family and multi-unit housing as a long-term care resource; equip families and individuals with the knowledge to plan for their housing, health and supportive service needs; and increase accessible and supportive housing that promotes healthy, independent living.

The mission of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is to create equal housing opportunities for all persons living in America by administering laws that prohibit discrimination in housing on the basis of race,color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, and familial status.
FHEO administers federal laws and establishes national policies that make sure all Americans have equal access to the housing of their choice.

The World Health Organization (WHO) came into being on April 7, 1948 when the 26th United Nations member ratified its Constitution. The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. In support of its main objective, the WHO has a wide range of functions including the following: to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work; to promote technical cooperation; to assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services; to furnish appropriate technical assistance, and in emergencies, necessary aid; to stimulate and advance work on the prevention and control of epidemic, endemic and other diseases; to promote, in cooperation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the improvement of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic or working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene; to promote and coordinate biomedical and health services research; to promote improved standards of teaching and training in the health, medical and related professions; to establish and stimulate the establishment of international standards for biological, pharmaceutical and similar products, and to standardize diagnostic procedures; and to foster activities in the field of mental health, especially those activities affecting the harmony of human relations. WHO also proposes conventions, agreements, regulations and makes recommendations about international nomenclature of diseases, causes of death and public health practices. It develops, establishes and promotes international standards concerning foods and biological, pharmaceutical and similar substances.

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Page last updated:
Tuesday, March 31, 2015